School Budget Vote and Board Election - May 21

The East Greenbush CSD has proposed a school budget for 2024-25 that maintains all programs and services with a 0.55% tax levy increase, which is within the NYS Property Tax Cap. Residents will also vote on a $116 million capital project that would improve school facilities and grounds across the district with no impact to local taxpayers, the replacement of eight school buses, which if approved by voters, will be fully paid for by the Bus Purchase Reserve Fund, and elect three individuals to the Board of Education.

Budget Information | Budget Timeline | Budget Newsletter | Capital Project | Where Do I Vote?

Select Page

Columbia Students Build New Display Case for Bell Ringers Hall of Fame

Jun 29, 2023 | Bell Top, Columbia, District

Hunter Whiting '23 and Zackary Alber '23 holding the Bell Top Bell Ringers display case that they built in their Woods II class at Columbia High School.

Hunter Whiting ’23, left, and Zackary Alber ’23 holding the Bell Top Bell Ringers display case that they built in their Woods II class at Columbia High School.

Each year, Bell Top Elementary School inducts a select group of former students into the Bell Ringers Hall of Fame. It is a special recognition for those who have attained significant accomplishments in the areas of Academics, the Arts, Citizenship, or Athletics.

When an individual is inducted into the Bell Ringers Hall of Fame, they are invited back to Bell Top for a special ceremony at a school-wide assembly and their name is engraved on a wooden bell and added to the Bell Ringers Hall of Fame display case in the front hallway.

Bell Top Bell Ringers case

The original Bell Top Bell Ringers case, located in the front hallway of the school, is now full.

The current display case is now full with 143 wooden bells recognizing students from the past 51 years.

To ensure this special tradition continues, Bell Top Principal Martin Mahar contacted the Technology Department at Columbia High School to see if students could build a new display case for the school.

“It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for several years,” said Mr. Mahar.

Earlier this month, just as Columbia’s school year was winding down, Mr. Mahar visited Columbia’s woodshop to view the completed display case. 

Columbia seniors Zackary Alber ’23 and Hunter Whiting ’23 built the display case in their Woods II class taught by Technology Teacher Scott Draina. The students worked off measurements and photos to replicate the original display case.

They used a bandsaw to cut the letters “Bell Top Bell Ringers,” which runs across the top of the display case, they used a table saw, a chop saw, a nail gun, they did lots of sanding, and then they stained the entire piece.

“A lot of sanding,” said Mr. Alber laughing.

The students worked on the project every day in class for four weeks, and even stopped down at other times of the school day to make sure they could finish the job before the end of the school year.

“They did a really nice job,” said Mr. Draina. “They took it to heart. They knew it was important, not only to Mr. Mahar and Bell Top and the district, but themselves. They really took ownership of it and wanted to make sure that it was going to be done right and done well.”

Both Mr. Alber, who went to Bell Top as an elementary student, and Mr. Whiting graduated on Saturday and will be attending Hudson Valley Community College in the fall. Mr. Alber will be studying business administration and Mr. Whiting will be studying computer science.

The new Bell Top Bell Ringers display case is expected to be installed down the hallway from the original one later this summer.

“This will get us another half a century,” Mr. Mahar said. “I’m very grateful. It’s a nice tradition to carry on.”